From humble beginnings, Weeke soon became established as a world market leading manufacturer of CNC machinery and equipment for panel processing and solid wood machining. It was Weeke’s passion for engineering excellence, attention to detail and, most of all, its ability to understand the needs of its customers that has led it to consistently develop revolutionary technology for the woodworking industry.
Whilst technology has always been one of the cornerstones of the business, so too has Weeke’s attention to the market’s needs. The increasing move towards batch-size one production and the need for smaller footprint machinery were instrumental in the development of the BHX 050, a state-of-the-art drilling and routing CNC centre. Launched in 2009, it was an instant success and has been incredibly popular with total machine sales of over 3000.
Weeke’s ground-breaking BHX 050 ultra-compact drilling centre
The Weeke BHX 050 Optimat is an ultra-compact throughfeed drilling centre with an equally trim price tag from the Homag Group. It is considered the ideal drilling solution for all businesses whether small, medium or large.
Simon Brooks, sales and marketing director of Homag UK comments: “Sales of the BHX 050 have been amazing. With over 3000 machines sold, clearly, it’s proved to be a real winner. It is an ideal CNC machining centre particularly for kitchen, bedroom or office furniture producers.
“The unique advantage of the BHX 050 is that it is packed with all the features of a conventional CNC, but, with a footprint of less than 5m2, it’s small enough to fit comfortably in any production facility. What’s more, the icing on the cake is the price tag which is easily within reach of most manufacturers. We have been hugely successful with the BHX 050 in the UK and demand for this versatile CNC machine continues to grow.
“It is a reliable three-axis processing centre equipped for all drilling needs. It can drill on five sides and is capable of grooving and routing at fast throughput rates whilst, at the same time, keeping energy bills down due to its low energy usage.”
Highly flexible
The versatile BHX 050 is capable of processing panels as small as 200 x 70 x 12mm up to panels as big as 2500 x 850 x 60mm as standard. There is also an option to increase this working length to 3050mm.
Simon continues: “The BHX 050 can process any type of wood panel and is most commonly used for MFC, MDF. We have had situations, however, where even demanding materials such as Trespa and solid wood components are being handled by this robust machine.”
A real time-saver that offers true value
“Generally, smaller machines mean processing times are extended. The Weeke BHX 050, however, can match the rapid processing times of much larger machines. Customers that have seen the BHX 050 put through its paces, have been nothing but impressed by its capability.
“Once the programming has been done, the set-up takes just seconds; it only requires the push of a pedal and press of a button to get it started. A really productive feature on the BHX 050 is the panel holding system. There are no vacuum pod or beam positions to worry about, the machine automatically positions the panel clamp correctly to suit each panel.
“The BHX 050 is great for one-off production due to its immense flexibility and we have many customers using the machine for make to order ‘cabinet by cabinet’ production. All the operator has to do is load the parts – it’s simple and efficient.
“Although it is classed as an entry level machine, no compromises have been made on build quality or safety. The BHX 050 has the features you’d expect from a Weeke machine, all at a real value for money price.”
Fast and simple controls with powerTouch
The new powerTouch system unites design with functionality in a totally new user interface. Central to the new system is a large wide-screen multi-touch monitor which enables the operator to control the machine’s functions by simply touching the screen.
The ultra-modern user interface offers an array of help and assistance functions designed to radically simplify the work experience. Standardised control elements and software modules ensure that all Homag Group machines can be operated with the same familiar look and feel using powerTouch.
This not only simplifies the operation of different machines, but also makes for greater efficiency by significantly reducing time for servicing and training.
Weeke’s BHX 200 – The next generation
Weeke unveiled its BHX 200 CNC processing centre, the next generation of small footprint vertical CNC technology, at Ligna 2013. This compact power pack requires less than 10m² installation space and selectable features include a powerful 9kW HSK routing spindle with a four-fold tool changer as well as a tiltable grooving saw.
It is the big brother to the BHX 050/055 series and utilises the same vertical machining style. The BHX 200, however, boasts considerably faster machining speeds whilst maintaining high levels of precision, despite its small size.
The machine is equipped with two individually moveable high-speed drilling heads which activate a total of 36 high-speed drilling spindles enabling, for example, rows of holes to be processed considerably faster.
As standard, the BHX 200 is equipped with two CNC-controlled no-vacuum clamping devices to precisely position and fix the work pieces during operation, so no setting times are required. The adjustable clamping system allows for larger work piece loads as well as a motorised work piece thickness adjustment.
“We expect demand for the BHX 050, the 055 and the new 200 to continue to be very high in the UK. Our flexible finance solutions certainly put this amazing CNC technology within the reach of customers at all levels of business. Those wishing to arrange a demonstration of any of the Weeke BHX range can call Karen Payen at Homag UK on 01332 856500,” concludes Simon.
T 01332 856500
